Lobbing Jokes Across the Barroom

On a Tuesday night in mid-October, Mike Spiegelman, a stocky, bushy-haired 45-year-old with boundless nervous energy paces and then rounds up potential audience members as best he can at The Layover.
In true Bay Area style, the crowd arrives 10 to 15 minutes late, although the room quickly fills with more than 30 people who grab seats, order drinks, and settle in for the night: 10 comics doing 10-minute sets. Photos by Lance Yamamoto